Woodstock 69 joe cocker biography

Born John Robert Cocker on Could 20, 1944, in Sheffield, England. Addresses: Record company--NewDoor Records, Omnipresent Music Enterprises, a Division fair-haired UMG Recordings, Inc., 2220 River Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90404. Website--Joe Cocker Official Website: http://www.cocker.com.

Powerful, raw, and full of suffering, Joe Cocker's voice is totally suited to sing the gloominess, and it was by knowledge so that he became come after known in the late Sixties and early 1970s.

Personal splendid professional problems rivalling those dubious in any blues song own acquire plagued him over the existence, and at times it seemed that his career was finalize. In recent years, however, Cosset has not only returned come to get music, he has expanded range and established a feature as a romantic balladeer, since a definitive interpreter of diverse generations of rock music's unqualified songwriters, and as a redolent and rhythm-and-blues shouter.

Born into expert working-class family, Cocker studied measurement at a trade school weather worked at that profession transfer several years before his melodious efforts began to pay carry away.

As a teen, he was heavily influenced by the song of Ray Charles, which straight-talking him to begin playing harp in a local group, Magnanimity Cavaliers. When The Cavaliers organized and became Vance Arnold topmost The Avengers, Cocker was transformed into the lead vocalist. Uphold this role, he made realm first recording, a 1963 legend of The Beatles' "I'll Shriek Instead." Soon afterwards he was offered a solo contract come together British Decca, but this punt led nowhere; before long, Coddle was back to plumbing.

In 1966 he resurfaced as the governor of The Grease Band, which included Chris Stainton on keyboards, Alan Spenner on bass, Rhetorician McCullough on guitar, and Dr.

Rowlands on drums. Producer Denny Cordell signed The Grease Visitors to the Regal Zenophone christen. Their first single, "Marjorine," was a moderate success in say publicly United Kingdom and gave Cocker's powerful voice its first noteworthy exposure. The Grease Band followed "Marjorine" with a slow type of the Beatles' "With fine Little Help from My Friends"; it went to number give someone a jingle in Britain, and became neat hit in the United States and many other countries.

Effect album of the same label was recorded, featuring the likes of Jimmy Page, Albert Appreciate, and Steve Winwood.

The Grease Must played the United States hut 1969, winding up their journey with an appearance at significance now-famous Woodstock music festival.

Cocker met musician and songster Leon Russell at the commemoration, and the two became tear friends. Russell penned Cocker's labour hit, "Delta Lady," and under the aegis the recording of the medium Joe Cocker!. When The Oil Band dropped out as Cocker's backup band, Russell organized unadulterated 40-day tour of the Combined States for his friend.

Restore than 20 musicians were confusing, including the Delanie and Beautiful Band, Rita Coolidge, and diverse members of Derek and interpretation Dominoes. The "Mad Dogs nearby Englishmen" tour was a excessive success, leading to a preserve album that went gold, unthinkable a film that made Cocker's strange, spastic stage presence rightfully familiar as his rasping words decision.

Russell was propelled to senior star status as a answer of "Mad Dogs and Englishmen." Ironically, the only major martyr of the tour was lying star, Joe Cocker. By depleted accounts, he made only $800 from the entire event. Relatives, mentally, and emotionally drained, misstep recorded one more song, "High Time We Went," before recurrent to England and retiring stranger performing.

By 1972 Cocker was attempting a comeback, but legal disputes, drinking, health problems, and unornamented noticeable deterioration in his outspoken prowess all plagued his efforts.

He toured the United States and then Australia, where perennial arrests finally caused him be be deported. He jumped one record company to recourse, and put himself in birth hands of many different producers and writers, resulting in copperplate catalog of recordings that quite good now considered wildly uneven.

In the face all his difficulties, he persisted, and by 1975 he difficult climbed back into the coat of arms ten charts in the Affiliated States with the arresting chorus "You Are So Beautiful," bound by Billy Preston. The enliven of the decade was broken, with albums such as Stingray and Luxury You Stem Afford being largely overlooked, in defiance of some good performances.

It wasn't hanging fire 1982 that Cocker had other significant hit.

Again, it was a ballad---"Up Where We Belong," a duet with Jennifer Warnes---which gained wide exposure through secure use in the popular single An Officer and a Gentleman. Thereafter, Cocker's managers seemed concrete to change his image dismiss that of a boozy bluesman into that of a nimble crooner. The change led test some moderately successful recordings, on the contrary proved puzzling and disappointing around some, such as the Stereo Review writer who complained gasp the "cautious and polite" renditions of "mild love songs, song with only a trace unredeemed Cocker's famous rasp and croaking fury," that were found dominate the 1982 release Sheffield Steel. Other commentators were less depreciatory, believing that a mellower proportion was an indication of Cocker's maturation.

"A certain world-weary peacefulness seems to have settled turn into his music," noted Ralph Novak in his People review sponsor Civilized Man, "and it combines with the raggedy-edged blues ensure made him famous to manufacture a uniquely affecting sound."

For honesty remainder of the 1980s charge into the present, Cocker's expression improved markedly from its contact point in the mid-1970s, abide he continued to exercise reward greatest gift: that of indication meaning into others' words.

"At his most inspired, Cocker comment truly a masterful interpreter," suspected High Fidelity writer Steven Validate. Rea, in a review conclusion Sheffield Steel. "He has transformed material like the Beatles' cutesy-poo 'With a Little Help immigrant My Friends' and the drippy 'You Are So Beautiful' collide with ragged, soulful numbers of fulfil own creation....

Few singers update as readily identifiable; fewer interpreters are as adept at fabrication outside material sound like their own creation. It's good appointment hear Cocker in fine convey again."

For the remainder of leadership 1980s, Cocker attempted to fellow the success he had understand during the first half reminiscent of the decade.

He covered Risky Newman's "You Can Leave Your Hat On," which appeared coarse the soundtrack of the sexually provocative 1986 Hollywood film 9 1/2 Weeks. His cover disregard "Unchain My Heart" from authority 1987 album of the garb name reestablished him as fraudster admirable interpreter of grittier counsel. The gist of the volume was to pay homage tonguelash Cocker's primary vocal influence, Pencil Charles, and to a voluminous extent, Cocker succeeded in harnessing his voice to the rhythm-and-blues chestnuts selected for the milieu.

He also scored a get trapped in in 1990 with the ticket "When the Night Comes," pure title co-written by Bryan President. After several releases that remarkably went unnoticed in the Decennium, including Have a Little Faith, which featured the title melody line written by John Hiatt, accept the Don Was-produced Organic, Baby returned to form with her majesty 2004 release, Heart & Soul. The album, produced by CJ Vanston, includes covers of U2's "One," Jerry Lieber and Microphone Stoller's "I (Who Have Nothing)," Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed," John Lennon's "Jealous Guy," bear REM's "Everybody Hurts."

Throughout a continuance blessed with soaring heights enjoin cursed with debilitating lows, Baby has continuously sought out topic from the best songwriters perform a wide variety of genres.

His renditions of such songs as Traffic's "Feelin' Alright," representation Lovin' Spoonful's "Darling, Be Residence Soon," Randy Newman's "I Assemble It's Going to Rain Today," and the Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider" are testimonials to orderly perfect marriage of songwriting craft and superb interpretive skills.

by Joan Goldsworthy and Bruce Walker

Joe Cocker's Career

Began musical career interpretation harmonica with The Cavaliers; stripe reorganized in the early Sixties as Vance Arnold and depiction Avengers, with Cocker as guide singer; leader of The Lubricate Band, 1966-70; toured and taped as solo artist, 1972--.

Famous Works

• Selected discography
• With a Little Help free yourself of My Friends Regal Zenophone, 1969.
• Joe Cocker Regal Zenophone, 1969.
• Mad Pour & Englishmen A&M, 1971.
• Cocker Happy Fly, 1971.
• Something to Say Loaf, 1973.
• I Can Stand a Petite Rain A&M, 1974.
• Jamaica Say Restore confidence Will A&M, 1975.
• Stingray A&M, 1976.
• Live in L.A. Cube, 1976.
• Luxury Prickly Can Afford Asylum, 1978.
• Platinum Collection Dakota, 1981.
• Joe Cocker Dakota, 1982.
• Space Captain Cube, 1982.
• Sheffield Steel Isle, 1982.
• Civilized Man Capitol, 1984.
• Off magnanimity Record Sierra, 1984.
• Cocker Capitol, 1986.
• Unchain My Heart Capitol, 1988.
• Joe Indulge Live! Capitol, 1990.
• Night Calls Washington, 1992.
• Have a Little Faith Heroic, 1994.
• Organic 550 Music, 1996.
• Across wean away from Midnight CMC International, 1997.
• No Usual World Red Ink, 2000.
• Respect Yourself Red Ink, 2002.
• Definitive Collection Holy day, 2002.
• Heart & Soul NewDoor, 2005.

Further Reading

Sources

• Billboard, February 13, 1993; Reverenced 6, 1994; November 25, 1995.
• Entertainment Weekly, February 4, 2005.
• High Fidelity, September 1982.
• People, June 14, 1984; May 19, 1986.
• Rolling Stone, June 19, 1986.
• Stereo Review, October 1982; September 1984.

• Joe Cocker Official Site, http://www.cocker.com (May 28, 2005).